Blackberry bonanza, by Mary

Two years ago we planted three blackberry bushes behind the raised bed gardens. They sprawled around on the ground and got weeds underneath so we finally put up a cattle panel fence for them.

We added two new blackberries and started training them on the fence. Luckily, they are thornless, so this job wasn't such a chore. This year, they are rewarding our efforts with a bumper crop of berries!

Look at all those berries ready to ripen into sweet, juicy fruits, perfect for adding to our yogurt for breakfast (straight off the vine) or taking home to make into cobbler.

I used to pick the wild blackberries that grew on the dam of my pond, but the weeds are tall there, the berries are close to the ground and I am leery of snakes. Plus, those berries are the size of my index fingernail. These Brazos blackberries we have at the nursery are more like Big Foot's big toenail. Some of them are over an inch long and fat.

Tonight I am serving blackberries with fresh whipped organic cream, sweetened with honey and flavored with vanilla bean. Sharon taught me that organic whipping cream will keep well in the refrigerator and not separate after being beaten then stored.

Dayliles, fleeting beauties

Most of our dayliles are blooming now. Although the flowers last only one day, they usually bloom for several weeks.

Stella D'Oro is touted as the longest blooming daylily on the market, but it is not the best one for East Texas. Above is Black-eyed Stella with a more pleasing color than its parent Stella D'Oro, and just as long a bloom time.
One of my favorite re-bloomers is Happy Returns. Here it is in our bed, with numerous, butter yellow blooms.

It;s not really upside down. I just shot it from a strange angle.
A big problem with daylilies these days is rust. Pustules of orange form on the leaves and affect the health, as well as the appearance of the plants. We managed to avoid rust on our daylilies for years, but in the past couple of years it has shown up on plants we buy in. We remove the bad leaves to try to contain the damage, but now are formerly clean daylilies are showing signs of rust. So we are trying new rust-resistant varieties. The colors on these new daylilies have been gorgeous.

The name of this one is Jamaica Sunrise. It is a stunning orange-red with a yellow throat.

Aurba Red is the name of this beauty. 

If you want to add daylilies to your garden, shop this month while they are in bloom so you know the real color, size of flower and height.

Little Gem Magnolia

Magnolia trees are the symbol of Southern grace and charm.
Our Little Gem Magnolia is in full bloom right now. It has suffered in the last two cold winters so is not as full and dense as it usually is this time of year.

The honeybees are wild for the nectar of its flowers.

The flower stamens fall off and collect in the bottom-most petals. I watched the bees roll around in these pollen-filled tubes like they were at an orgy. Then they drunkenly flew off.

The area around this tree buzzes with the beat of bees' wings. We have scads of bees here at the nursery - honeybees and bumblebees and some we can't identify. We are happy to provide them a lavish buffet.
We have learned if you stay calm while working around them, and don't wear scented products they are attracted to, they won't bother you.

outdoor kitchen

Our new outdoor kitchen is almost complete. Here is a long shot of the total space. Isn't it beautiful?

All it lacks is the grill (with a side burner), a roll-around prep table, and the sink. Then we will be ready to have cooking classes and demos.
Here is a look at the fireplace. We are looking into a hook to hang a kettle, or perhaps a rotisserie.

 This is a design detail on the side of the chimney. After we had decided on a brick chimney and facade, we saw a gorgeous river rock facade. So we just got a touch of that look.

The alcove on top of the photo below is the pizza oven. It still needs a metal door for the front opening and then we can start the curing process. It has a propane burner for quick cooking, or we can build a fire to heat the oven. This is a long process though. I'm sure we will try both methods to discover which we like the best.

Check in here for more details as we get everything working.
If you would like information on getting your own outdoor kitchen, call John Braun at Wilhite Landscaping
903-593-5975. http://www.wilhitelandscape.com/